How to Shoot a Fishing Trip

Mike Mainhart captures a day on the water with the Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD lens.

Article By Jennifer Gidman

Images by Mike Mainhart

The photographer has branched out from his neck of the woods in Vienna, Ohio, and now takes pictures for visitors' bureaus in several neighboring Ohio and Pennsylvania counties. "Last year, things really started picking up: I've done a magazine spread for a Virginia magazine, and the state of Kentucky used one of my photos for a fishing guide," he says.

On a recent smallmouth bass fishing trip, Mainhart test-drove the Tamron 18-270mm VC PZD lens. "This was the first series of shots I really used the lens for," he says. "I love the color saturation and sharpness of this lens, as well as its versatility. I carry all my stuff in a backpack when I go fishing - I'll have waders on, walking up a rocky river in the water for five or six miles, with my camera gear in addition to my fishing equipment. It's nice to have a camera with one lens that can cover such a wide range so I don't have to carry more than I need to."

Read on for Mainhart's tips on maximizing a day out on the water so your images don't end up sleeping with the fishes.

Protect your equipment.
Use Ziploc-type plastic bags to keep your camera safe from the water. With the 18-270's small profile, the camera and lens fit together in a one-gallon bag. Some lenses you have to put in a separate bag, which is inconvenient when you've got a fish on the line and you have to reach into a different bag to get the lens out. With the 18-270, you're just ready to go.

Balance the composition with the action.
Sometimes while you're on a fishing trip, you can't concentrate too much on your composition because you don't have a lot of time to set up a shot (if someone's reeling in a fish, for example, like I describe later on). You don't want to miss out on what's going on in front of you. Other times, though, things may slow down and you've got that time to be a little more artistic. For my shot of the guy with his fishing line in the water, I was more aware of the composition there. It wasn't a staged shot, per se, but we found a nice spot, the lighting was good, and I was able to snap a few carefully composed shots by timing it right. Your eye just follows the fishing line right into the water.

Determine what you'll be using the photos for to help frame your shots.
Cater your images to whatever situation you're shooting them for and incorporate appropriate details. For example, I take a lot of photos for magazines, so if there's an article I'm shooting for entitled "Bass Fishing With a Fly Rod," I've got to make sure I get a fly rod in those photos. You want to think about how you're eventually showing the photo or how you want to pitch it, too. If you're thinking publication cover, for instance, you'll want to compose the shot as a vertical or position your subject so there's blank space on one side for print.

Go for natural reaction shots.
People have fun when they're fishing and are often proud of their haul, so show that. Try to get their expressions right after their catch. I've fished a lot with Paul, one of the guys you'll see a lot in my pictures, so he's used to posing for me. However, I'll often snap a photo before he's even ready to be photographed to get a more natural look. Try to sneak in a shot or two like that while you're just talking and setting up your line, for instance, to get that same natural feel.

Tell a story by incorporating the environment.
One of the most difficult things to do when taking pictures of fish is get creative. You can simply hold the fish up and smile in all your pictures, but everyone does that. Position your subject, whether it's the fish or the person catching the fish, so that there's an interesting background that shows where the action's taking place, even if it's just a beautiful blue sky with puffy white clouds. By incorporating the environment into the photo, you're telling a story.

You can also use elements from the environment to enhance your shot. Reflections from the water, for example, can actually be a benefit: You can use them to silhouette your images.

Shoot in manual and stay flexible for spontaneous moments.
You might not think of fishing as a fast-action sport, but my shot of the fish being reeled out of the water proves otherwise. I was at a distance doing a test shot when this happened, and it took place so fast I didn't have a chance to set anything up. The spot I was shooting was in and out of the shade, so I just had to shoot and hope for the best. That's another advantage of that 18-270 lens: I simply extended the lens to its full focal length and was able to fire it up and shoot before the gentleman landed the fish. I never use automatic mode - I program my camera so there's some flexibility. No matter what, you have to be ready for those types of surprises!

Don't limit yourself to what you can do with your lens.
I'm trying to use that 18-270 to do all kinds of photography, especially macro where I'm getting really up close to shoot butterflies and plants, for instance. A lens might not necessarily be designed for a certain type of photography, but by pushing the limits of your glass, you may be surprised with what you get. I'm amazed at the macro work I'm able to do with the 18-270.